Dave Skoletsky is a guy doing what he enjoys - it's that way, he says, when you've found your passion.

Watch him work with his own dogs at Sit Means Sit, 8308 Church Ranch Blvd., Westminster, and you'll see passion for dog training, a skill he discovered while a chemist - that soon led to a new life.

Massachusetts native Skoletsky graduated from college and worked in chemistry a decade before the training muse came along.

After his dog, Buddy, died in August of 2000, he adopted his sister's dog, Jesse, and enrolled in a dog training facility in Golden. "I loved it," Skoletsky remembers, "and I was very good at it."

He began training friends' dogs - for free - to get the experience and immersed himself in additional training. While still a chemist, he opened his own dog training business in Westminster and came across Sit Means Sit training facility in Las Vegas that focuses on off-leash, remote collar training, as opposed to "leash and food" training.

He was impressed with the off-leash control he saw and wanted it. The electric impulse from the collar is not a punishment, he says, but a way of saying to your dog, "pay attention."

Skoletsky was able to grow his training business, which he called "Sit Happens," and shortly after was successful enough to leave his chemistry job and go with his passion.

"Everyone thought I was crazy," he said, "but I could see it working."
He changed to a Sit Means Sit operation in April of 2007. Skoletsky soon added employee Anthony Bracciante, who had the same passion for training. Today, the staff numbers five.

Dog training, whether for simple obedience or advanced challenges takes dedication,he said.

Skoletsky lives with his wife, Sharlene and 2-year-old daughter, Eve, in Westminster.

"Training dogs is no different than raising kids," he said, "there's constant supervision. You don't raise your kids three times a day for 15 minutes a day. Getting people to understand how to set up proper management systems for their dogs and how to train their dog - those two things go hand in hand."
In demonstrations May 8, his Belgian Malinois, Beck, responded quickly and in a polished fashion to a variety of commands, and he never had to yell. His two other recent rescue dogs, a border collie named J.J., and another Malinois, Dodge, responded with rapt attention and a will to please.

Skoletsky said the staff takes pride in customer service and feels it's critical.
"People need their dogs trained," he notes, "but they're going to train them with people they like and they trust."

Today, he also gives seminars for people who want to train dogs.
"I love training trainers," he said. "Pet dog training's great, but I have that knack of being able to train trainers to get their focus and attention and their timing and motivation all in line."

In the end, he says it's building a bond with your dog.
"For us, its rewarding to teach people how to communicate with their dog properly, so they can do the fun things in life they want to do."

For more information, visit www.sitmeanssit.com or call 303-422-DOGS (3647).